The Republic from Columbus, Indiana • Page 1

BACK IN STRIDE EAST RUNNER BATTLES BACK FROM INJURY SPORTS B1 FRIENDLY RIVALRY Friday, August 24, 2012 Columbus, Indiana 75 cents TheRepublic.com (c) 2012 The Republic USPS 462-080 OUTSIDE INSIDE AROUND TOWN A2 BUSINESS A10 CLASSIFIEDS B5 B10 COMICS B12 LOTTERIES B2 MOVIES A8 OPINION A9 SPORTS B1 TV LISTINGS A8 WEATHER A12 IGH 90 Low: 61 Dawn Berry, 46, Brownstown Martha Callaway, 89, Columbus Mable Goodin, 89, Columbia, Ky. Gertrude Haymaker, 96, Franklin Jason Wash, 31, Central Avenue Michael Wilson, 22, Franklin OBITUARIES A11 COLUMBUS NORTH VS. COLUMBUS EAST, 7 P.M. TODAY AT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL AY EATER here have been many great personal rivalries Patton- Rommel, Ali-Frazier, Road Runner-Wile E. Coyote.

But this is high school football country, and Columbus North coach Tim Bless and Columbus East coach Bob Gaddis dominate the local landscape. They are cunning. They are tough. They are relentless. They are friends.

That last part might be seen as a major contradiction in a community where people on different sides of town want to knock heads at the end of August. Having split 12 previous encounters, the coaches meet in Game 13 today, with a 7 p.m. kickoff at Columbus North High School. The previous games have been gut-wrenching, painful and euphoric. But they answered the simple question: Who is better? These two football coaches, strong personalities in their own right, took struggling programs and put Columbus on the football map.

The only problem is that well in the same town. Can the public possibly understand how two coaches can develop a friendship when they basically are drawing from the same talent pool? can understand it, some said Bless, a college football son who mind that his emotions flow down his sleeve at times. is not a Bob Gaddis thing for me. No doubt, what is really tough here is that we have open enrollment. Eighth-graders can choose where they want to go to school.

There is a lot of pressure to win this game. I feel that Bob and I have a positive relationship. We are friends. We play golf on One is like little the other has in his HRIS CHILLING ustomers choose their sides when they step inside Cutz at 14th and Washington streets. With an orange Columbus East football helmet and a blue Columbus North helmet displayed in the front window, fans of each school file in and relish in the smack talk that fills the barbershop, especially this week.

With the football game tonight and the soccer match Saturday, day long they rib each owner Ray Gipson said. get East and North kids in here at the same time, and go back and But press the assistant freshman football coach about allegiances. coach at Columbus North, but I had nephews who played for East. This is an East-North barbershop. This is a Columbus he asserts.

True to his word, the walls inside are adorned with framed autographed photos of athletes from both schools. While Gipson refuses to pick sides, other city residents have no qualms about doing that. After all, the rivalry has been going strong since Columbus High School was split into two schools 40 years ago. Lee Ann Ruf, a 1980 East graduate, still has and occasionally wears her souvenir T-shirt from when East won the state championship in 1979. Ruf said.

remember everything about that Ruf, whose son Collin played football for East, believes the rivalry is as big now as it was Rivalry talk is sure to come up when Fans talk smack at Cutz barbershop SEE FANS ON PAGE A3 SEE COACHES ON PAGE A3 Game parking All parking lots at Columbus North High School will be open tonight for anyone attending the game. Parking for the disabled will be available in the new west lot closest to the football stadium. Street parking on Maple Street and in neighborhoods around the school is available. OE ARPRING HE EPUBLIC Ray Gipson cuts James hair at his barbershop, Cutz, in Columbus. Gipson displays autographed photos of players from both North and Columbus East High School at his shop.

Tim Bless, head coach for Columbus North High School Bob Gaddis, head coach for Columbus East High School INSIDE 12 years of Bless- Gaddis matchups Page A3 Technology adds new dimension to game tapes Page B1 Musician, artist left her mark LOCAL A4 Parks, roads will get overhauled LOCAL A12 Your newspaper might be a bit late Saturday morning. We are delaying our press start time to get the latest high school football news in the paper. See Republic newspaper and website for stories and photos from the Columbus East vs. Columbus North football game and other area high school games. Republic photographers are out and about taking photos of all kinds of community events.

The photographs are in the paper, and extra photos often are put on our website, therepublic.com. You can view our photo galleries of sports, news and other events and purchase photos at therepublicphotos.com. Parents who want to participate in the Good program, which aims to prevent youth substance abuse, or adults who wish to train to be program facilitators can call 314-3533. The phone number was incorrect in a story about grants for preventing youth substance abuse on Page A12 in Republic. CORRECTION BUY YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOS A LITTLE LATE FOR FOOTBALL SCORES.